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Message from the Fire Chief

It is an honour and a pleasure to present the Dryden Fire Service 2020 Annual

Report to Council, residents, and staff. The fire service in general is constantly

evolving and adapting to meet the needs of the people it serves, and the Dryden

Fire Service is no different. In the past year the world has changed for everyone

and I am proud of how our very dedicated team took on new challenges and

continued to provide a very high level of service to the residents and visitors of

the City of Dryden.

This annual report will provide you with a sense of our accomplishments in 2020

and show the level of dedication our department has completed towards serving

our community. Many of these things would not be possible without the fine work

of our firefighters, but also without the continued support from Council and the

Senior Management Team of the City of Dryden.

This report provides insight into the time, effort, and dedication provided to the

community by the Dryden Fire Service in 2020. This report outlines call volumes,

fire prevention initiatives, public education efforts, professional development and

training achievements, and many other significant strides that were made over

the past year.

The Dryden Fire Service continues to be a progressive and adaptable fire service

that is committed to providing the services this city needs. With a strong focus on

fire prevention and education, we are committed to helping the public prevent

emergencies and protect their health and property. When an emergency does

happen, we provide the residents and visitors of Dryden with prompt,

professional, and compassionate service from well trained and well-equipped

firefighters.

For those who have an opportunity to read this report, I hope it provides a

glimpse into the daily operations of our department. It is always an honour and a

privilege to open the doors of our organization to the people we serve.

Sincerely,

Kent Readman

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2020 Achievements & Accomplishments

1. Health & Safety Coordinator, Training Officer and Deputy Fire Chief all began

their new roles.

2. Volunteer firefighter recruitment drive was held with 22 applicants for 12

positions.

3. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, public fire education and prevention activities

had to be adjusted. One new initiative was “Birthday Parades” for kids. DFS

participated in 112 birthday parades from April to June.

4. Delivered approximately 5189 hours of training to volunteer firefighters

5. 7 Recruits successfully completed NFPA 1001 Professional Firefighter Level I &

II training and testing for Firefighter Certification.

6. 7 Current firefighters completed NFPA 1001 Professional Firefighter Level I & II

training and testing for Firefighter Certification.

7. 9 Firefighters completed NFPA 1002 Apparatus Operator/Pump Operator training

and testing for Certification.

8. Dryden Fire Service completed 28 Fire Inspections.

9. Dryden Fire Service created the “12 Days of Christmas Fire Safety” video series

that saw 12 different videos created by our members to provide fire safety

messaging to the public.

10. A new pumper went into service in October, Pumper 31 is stationed at Hall 2.

11. Completed fire safety inspections and supervised fire drills at all vulnerable and

care occupancies

12. Implemented continuously changing COVID-19 protocols to ensure an adequate

response and protect our firefighters.

13. Modernized fire hose, nozzle, and appliances on all apparatus.

14. Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment upgrade

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Who We Are & What We Do

The Dryden Fire Service provides City of Dryden residents, visitors, and businesses with protection against loss of life, property, and the environment from the effects of fire, illness, accidents, and all other hazards through preparedness, prevention, public education, and emergency response, with an emphasis on quality services, efficiency, effectiveness, and safety. The Dryden Fire Service is comprised of five full-time staff (Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, Fire Prevention Officer, Training Officer and Health & Safety Coordinator) and approximately 40 volunteer Captains and Firefighters operating from two strategically located fire stations. All emergency calls are received by the Kenora Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC) fire dispatch centre, who then activate pagers carried by volunteer firefighters. Upon receipt of a call, the firefighters respond to station, don their personal protective equipment, and then respond to the incident. In addition to providing an all hazards response within the City of Dryden, the Dryden Fire Service responds to vehicle accidents for approximately 100 kilometres outside of the City of Dryden, as well as responding to structure fires and water/ice rescue incidents in neighbouring areas as part of an automatic aid/mutual aid agreement.

Mission

Prevent Emergencies, Save Lives, Protect Property and the Environment.

Vision

To be a proactive leader in the delivery of fire and life safety initiatives to meet the current and evolving

needs of our community.

Core Values

Integrity, Honesty, Accountability, Teamwork, Innovation & Professional Development.

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DRYDEN FIRE SERVICE

ADMINISTRATION

Capital & Operating Budget Preparation and Management

Purchasing

Council Reporting

Statistical & Data Analysis and Reporting

Health & Safety

Compliance with Standards and Regulations

Recruitment and Personnel Management

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2019 Response Statistics

The Dryden Fire Service responded to a total of 241 calls in 2020. This was a decrease

of 16 calls from 2019.

The graph below outlines the total call volume over the last 5 years:

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Call Types

The chart below depicts the distribution of all emergency responses that the Dryden Fire

Service responded to in 2020 by type of call.

Other calls include:

Hazardous Materials Emergencies

Grass/Brush Fires

Burn Complaints

Water/Ice Rescue

Elevator Rescue

Rescue (other)

Hydro Emergencies

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2020 Response Statistics

Response Times The average time for the first fire truck to arrive at any incident from the time it was dispatched (response time) for all calls was 6 minutes and 35 seconds (6:35). Dryden Fire Service target response time is 8:00 minutes. The average time for the first fire truck to arrive at an incident within the City of Dryden from the time it was dispatched (response time) for all calls was 6 minutes and 2 seconds (6:02). Dryden Fire Service target response time is 8:00 minutes.

NFPA 1720 The NFPA 1720 standard for response applies to volunteer firefighting services that typically do not have personnel on-duty in stations and instead respond to calls from home, work, or elsewhere. The NFPA 1720 Rural Standard is to have 6 firefighters on scene within 14 minutes 80% of the time. In 2020 the Dryden Fire Service achieved 6 firefighters on scene in 14 minutes or less 92% of the time.

Emergency Incidents by Month

Month Number

Average per month 20.1

January February March April May June July August September October November December

15 32 9 15 17 24 19 21 34 25 18 12

Total 241

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Emergency Incidents by Day of Week Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

23 43 40 33 40 35 27

9.5% 17.8% 16.6% 13.7% 16.6% 14.5% 11.2%

Emergency Incidents by Time of Day Time Number %

00:01 to 01:00 01:01 to 02:00 02:01 to 03:00 03:01 to 04:00 04:01 to 05:00 05:01 to 06:00 06:01 to 07:00 07:01 to 08:00 08:01 to 09:00 09:01 to 10:00 10:01 to 11:00 11:01 to 12:00 12:01 to 13:00 13:01 to 14:00 14:01 to 15:00 15:01 to 16:00 16:01 to 17:00 17:01 to 18:00 18:01 to 19:00 19:01 to 20:00 20:01 to 21:00 21:00 to 22:00 22:01 to 23:00 23:01 to 00:00

5 1 2 4 1 5 5 8 10 15 18 20 12 22 17 10 19 10 8 18 12 9 8 2

2.1% 0.4% 0.8% 1.7% 0.4% 2.1% 2.1% 3.3% 4.1% 6.2% 7.5% 8.3% 4.9% 9.1% 7.0% 4.1% 7.9% 4.1% 3.3% 7.5% 4.9% 3.7% 3.3% 0.8%

Total 241 100%

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Fires

In 2020 the Dryden Fire Service responded to a total of 26 structure fires within the City

of Dryden with reported damage, resulting in a total structure fire loss of $1,000,000.

These included:

8 industrial structure fires

4 apartment building fires

4 electrical fires

3 house fires

3 commercial structure fires

1 garage fire

1 barn fire

2 mutual aid house fires (not in City of Dryden)

Additionally, in 2020, the Dryden Fire Service responded to a total of 8 vehicle fires with

reported damage, resulting in a total vehicle fire loss of $200,000.

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DRYDEN FIRE SERVICE

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING

Recruit Firefighter Training

Officer Development Training

Specialized Rescue Training

Firefighter Curriculum Training

Patient Care Training

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Professional Development and Training

Dryden’s volunteer firefighters completed over 5000 hours of training in 2020. This includes regular weeknight training sessions, company drills, weekend courses, specialized training, and attending Ontario Fire College or other third-party courses.

The primary focus of the Training Division is to develop and provide the highest quality training and education to the members of the Dryden Fire Service. Compliance with provincial standards and regulations, as well as department operating guidelines, are achieved by providing the following training as part of the regular firefighter training curriculum:

Structural Firefighting

Wildland Firefighting

Non-Structural Firefighting

Accident Victim Extrication

Water and Ice Rescue

Firefighter Survival and Rescue

Incident Command

Hazardous Materials

DZ Driver Licensing/Driver Training

Officer Development

Recruit Training

Patient Care Training

Live Fire Training

Training Is Supposed t

The Training Division continues to research new equipment, methods, technology, and programs that will improve departmental functions and ensure the safety of all personnel. Routine tasks for the Training Division include:

Development of new training programs

Revision of the existing training curriculum and programs

Development of instructor skills

Acquisition of new training materials

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Professional Development and Training

In 2020 some of the specific training completed by Dryden’s firefighters included:

Firefighter Survival/Rescue/RIT – 37 firefighters and officers trained

Water Rescue – 23 firefighters and officers trained

Ice Rescue – 22 firefighters and officers trained

Forcible Entry – 31 firefighters and officers trained

Aerial Operations – 20 firefighters and officers trained

Auto Extrication – 25 firefighters and officers trained

Rural Water Operation – 26 firefighters and officers trained

Trauma, Burns, Emergency Patient Care – 23 firefighters and officers trained

Vent Enter Isolate Search – 25 firefighters and officers trained

First Aid/CPR Certification – 8 firefighters and officers trained

In addition, five firefighters completed the NFPA 1021 Fire Officer 1 course, two firefighters completed the NFPA 1041 Fire Instructor 1 course, and two firefighters completed the NFPA 1002 Apparatus Operations/Pumper Operations course.

Water Rescue Training Auto Extrication Training RIT Training

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DRYDEN FIRE SERVICE

FIRE PREVENTION

Enforcement of the Ontario Fire Code and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act

Public Fire Safety Education

Fire Safety Inspections

Fire Investigations

Fire Safety Plan Reviews

Plans Examinations

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Fire Prevention Division

The Dryden Fire Service’s Fire Prevention Division faced significant challenges in 2020

due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person Fire Inspections were postponed for an

extended portion of the year in an effort to limit contact and prevent the potential

transmission of the virus. The recruitment of the Fire Prevention Officer was also

delayed due to COVID-19 and the hiring process did not begin until the fourth quarter of

2020.

The Fire Prevention Division will be coordinated by the Deputy Chief and a Fire

Prevention Officer and assisted by volunteer firefighters who dedicate their time to

assisting with fire prevention and public fire safety education programs.

The Fire Prevention Division is responsible for the following:

Conducting fire safety inspections to ensure compliance with the Ontario Fire

Code

Initiating the prosecution of Ontario Fire Code offences

Reviewing and approving fire safety plans

Reviewing and approving planning & development applications/plans

Reviewing and approving special events

Providing public fire safety education

Coordinating pre-incident planning and building familiarization tours

Conducting investigations into the cause & origin of fires

Social Media

A focus of the Fire Prevention Division was to reach more people via Social Media and

create a stronger presence online. In 2020 Dryden Fire Service increased Facebook

followers by 572 Followers, 509 Page Likes, and monthly increases of Post Reach and

Post Engagements. Late in 2020 a Twitter account was added to reflect a diverse social

media presence, @Dryden_Fire.

Smoke Alarm Campaign

The most important life safety device any home can have is working Smoke and Carbon

Monoxide Alarms! Today’s fires burn hotter and faster than ever before and the time to

safely escape your home has decreased to less than 2 minutes in many cases. Dryden

Fire Service utilized 2 training nights in September to conduct a COVID-19 friendly,

door-to-door smoke and carbon monoxide alarm campaign. Over the 2 nights crews

visited over 80 homes, completed over 60 inspections, and unfortunately found a very

low compliance rate with the Ontario Fire Code Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

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requirements. During the campaign Dryden Fire Service gave out and/or installed over

70 alarms and 30 batteries to make homes safe and compliant with the laws.

Dryden Fire Service will focus on more educational and enforcement options for Smoke

and Carbon Monoxide Alarm compliance in 2021.

This picture is some of the expired and non-operational Smoke and Carbon Monoxide

Alarms that were removed form houses during the door-to-door campaign.

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Fire Prevention Week

Fire Prevention Week 2020 looked different than ever before! Fire Departments across

Canada faced the challenge of a completely virtual Fire Prevention Week due to the

worldwide pandemic. Dryden Fire Service took this opportunity to work with our

members and the community to create a number of Fire Prevention Week videos.

These videos received a great deal of attention from our community and increased our

social media presence.

Some of the video topics included:

- Fire Safety in the Kitchen

- How to use a Fire Extinguisher

- Dryden Fire Service Medical Equipment

- Virtual Tour of Pumper 21

- 72 Hour Emergency Kit

- Firefighter PPE and SCBA

- Virtual Tour of Rescue 25

Public Education

2020 created many challenges in the public education field as fire departments have

relied on in-person events for many years. COVID-19 created opportunities for new

types of interactions with the public and required fire departments to think outside of the

box. In April of 2020 Dryden Fire Service recognized a need to bring joy and happiness

to the children of Dryden. Schools had moved to a virtual learning platform, parks had

been closed, sports had been cancelled and kids could no longer get together with

friends or family to celebrate birthdays.

Dryden Fire Service began offering birthday parades with fire trucks. This idea quickly

caught on and the request for these events was much higher than anticipated. Other fire

departments and service operators also joined in the parades and they quickly became

a hit in the city.

In less than 3 months Dryden Fire Service organized and participated in parades for

over 112 children!

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DRYDEN FIRE SERVICE

FLEET, FACILITIES & EQUIPMENT

Purchasing, Maintaining and Repairing Fire Apparatus

Equipment Purchases, Maintenance and Repairs

Maintaining Fire Stations

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Fleet

The Dryden Fire Service, along with the City of Dryden Public Works Department, is responsible for the care, maintenance, testing and management of all fire apparatus. Dryden Fire Service staff complete weekly and monthly inspections to ensure that all vehicles and equipment are in a state of readiness in the event of an emergency call. In addition, there is the responsibility of annually ensuring that:

All mandatory Ministry of Transportation inspections are completed on schedule

An aerial ladder inspection and testing is conducted on the aerial truck

Pump and ground ladder testing are completed on all pumper trucks & the quint

All vehicles are serviced on schedule

Dryden Fire Service vehicle type and quantities: Command Vehicle 1 Pumpers 2 Ladder Trucks (Quint) 1 Tankers 1 Rescue Truck 1 Equipment Units 2 Utility Truck (Pick-up Truck) 1

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New SCBA In 2020 Dryden Fire Service purchased new Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus to protect our firefighters from breathing in toxic fumes and chemicals during hazardous situations. The new units replaced existing units that had reached the end of their life cycle as they were 20-25 years old. The purchase included the following: 27 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), 73 SCBA Cylinders, 2 Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) kits, 2 RIT kit cylinders, 50 SCBA masks, 8 Voice Amplifiers for Officer SCBA masks, 2 Pak Tracker firefighter rescue device and a laptop computer with programming to monitor firefighters during hazardous conditions operations. All firefighters completed and very thorough 4-month training program to ensure confidence and competence prior to the new equipment going into service.

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New Apparatus In 2020 Dryden Fire Service put a new apparatus into service. A 2019 Fort Garry Fire Trucks Pumper replaced an aging 1996 Superior Pumper. The pumper is equipped with a International chassis, 5000 liter per minute pump, seating for 6, enclosed pump panel, roof-top command scene light, roof top master stream device, a full compliment of ground ladders, and customized tool mounts for optimization of storage and ease of use for firefighters. The truck initially arrived in August and after a very thorough training program and completion of all customized options, the new Pumper 31 went into service in October. This apparatus is housed at Hall 2 and will serve the area for at least 20 years.

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Facilities

The Dryden Fire Service, along with the City of Dryden Facilities Department, is responsible for coordinating the care, maintenance, repairs, and upkeep of both fire stations. Station officers are responsible for ensuring that the stations are routinely inspected for any operational or health and safety issues as well. The Dryden Fire Service operates out of 2 fire stations:

Hall 1 – Urban (Colonization Avenue)

Hall 2 – Rural (Highway 17)

Hall 1

Hall 2

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Equipment

The Fire Chief and Deputy Chief, with the assistance of other full-time staff, officers and

firefighters, are responsible for coordinating the care, maintenance, testing,

replacement, repairs, and management of all firefighting tools and equipment. Each

platoon is responsible for ensuring that all tools and equipment are regularly inspected,

to ensure equipment is in a state of readiness in the event of an emergency. Routinely,

various equipment is scheduled to be inspected, tested and maintained according to

manufacturer recommendations or legislated requirements including:

Flow testing of breathing apparatus

Hydrostatic testing of breathing air cylinders

Maintenance, testing and air sampling of breathing air compressors

Preventative maintenance on all small engines, portable pumps, generators,

ventilation saws, rotary saws etc.

Preventative maintenance on all auto extrication equipment

Testing and calibration of all gas detection units

Testing/inventory of all fire hose and nozzles

Bunker gear/PPE inspections, repairs, and replacement

Testing of all ground ladders

Inspection and testing of fire extinguishers

Inventory and conditioning of portable radios

Maintenance and repair of patient care equipment

Inspection and maintenance of water/ice rescue equipment

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2021 Objectives

1. Complete the hiring of full-time staff by hiring a Fire Prevention Officer and a

Deputy Fire Chief

2. Replace Equipment 22

3. Replace Portable and Mobile Radios.

4. Implement a more in-depth residential smoke and carbon monoxide alarm

inspection program

5. Develop a Critical Incident Stress Management peer support program

6. Implement a formal Driver Training program

7. Implement a formal Officer Development program

8. Review and revise divisional policies and operating guidelines to ensure

compliance with legislative requirements and consistency with modern

research and developments

9. Continue to develop community partnerships to enhance the fire safety public

education program, and better utilize media and social media to provide fire

safety education messages to the public

10. Implement a formal fire safety inspection program that initiates pro-active fire

safety inspections to ensure compliance with the Ontario Fire Code

11. Complete emergency management training & certifications, hold a robust

emergency exercise, and achieve compliance with the provincial emergency

management program requirements

12. Develop Automatic Aid agreements with neighbouring fire departments to

ensure adequate response to emergencies in a timely manner